The White Wolf
by CorneliaSpyre
Summary: Strange things often happen to Luminara, a moon-white wolf with a haunted past. But when her long-lost sister and her worst enemy come to Amethyst Mountain to compete in the Pack Games, both dammed-up feelings and a complex conspiracy will be revealed.
1. Midnight

**A/N: Hurrah! I finally got over my writers block and the first chapter turned out very nicely. Hope you like it! I'm very sorry for the long wait and from this point on, I'll try to update faster.**

**This is my first WolfQuest fic, so go easy on the criticism. People know me for writing Mario, so if I'm wrong on things (places, landmarks, etc.) tell me in a review. However, I've renamed most of them (humans named them, so how would a wolf know those names?) so I'm not really sure it matters much. A full key of Human Name vs. Wolf Name is on my profile page under "**_**The White Wolf**_** Pack Stats". **

**Disclaimer: I do not own WolfQuest. Well, I've downloaded the game, but I do not own the trademark, the rights, etc.**

My feet pounded against the ground as I ran towards the oncoming herd. I easily picked out the weakest cow elk and pushed on the speed. It was night, the moon was full, and I was hunting tomorrow's breakfast. Night was the only time I could really focus, and when the moon was out, I was unstoppable.

My name is Luminara, and I am the White Wolf. As you may have already guessed, I am no ordinary wolf: I am only two years old, yet I have a territory of my own. I am a lone wolf, but my territory stretches across half of Amethyst Mountain: all of the Dead Forest, the Silvam Hunting Grounds, and a little bit of the Dry River Territory. I am an orphan, but I already know all that I need to: how to hunt, fight, and communicate with other wolves.

My parents, Nigr and Rufona, were exceptional hunters and fighters, and taught me and my only sister, Vena, everything they knew when we were only pups. All of the packs of Amethyst Mountain had feared and admired us greatly.

The placing of our territory was actually quite strategic, but resulted in the formation of enemies looking to expand theirs. We lived in the Deep Valley, and no wolf that lived on Amethyst Mountain would dare climb down the steep cliffs to get to us. In fact, the only wolves I knew that could climb up and down the cliffs were my sister, my parents, and I. We also had a secret hunting ground, the Cervum Hunting grounds.

But like I said before, enemies were made. Numerous packs that came from the distant lands of Slough Creek were looking to expand their territory, and tried to drive us out, but my parents fought them off, until Scar came, and he was looking for much more than just land.

Scar was a wolf as deep gray-black as an oncoming storm cloud, and had a personality like thunder and lightning combined. A deep red scar over his left eye made his presence all the more disturbing and frightening, also hence his name. He was a wolf like my parents had never seen before, and his pack resulted in their downfall. He did not take our land, however. But he did take something very dear to me.

He kidnapped Vena. I vowed revenge, but my parents' dying wish was that I would stay on Amethyst Mountain and compete in the Pack Games this coming spring. I had no choice. My lifelong dream was that, after the Pack Games, I would find Vena and crush the foreign pack that kidnapped her.

Why Scar took Vena was a mystery to me. Why he would just come and ruthlessly conquer was even further perplexing…

It was nearing the end of winter and the snow was turning to slush, and the normally dry creek was beginning to fill. The bears were awakening from their hibernation and the elk, thankfully, were becoming more active. Speaking of elk, I had just brought down a fine looking one indeed. I began to drag it back to my den.

The late-winter air was cool and biting when I reached the fallen trees that served as my den. The trees had fallen on top of one another, and their branches created a perfect shelter, if you added the ones that I put on top as well. I also dug a deep dip underneath them to serve as walls. I placed the elk meat outside of my den and walked inside. Immediately, I felt a wave of fatigue. The moonlight always gave me strength, and the moon was not visible from inside my den. I soon fell asleep and dreamed of the Pack Games…

The Pack Games were the events of the year, hosted at the Lone Dead Tree. When they were not serving their pack, wolves spent all their time training for these games. Two year old wolves would compete for the best mate, and older wolves would compete for pack status. There were various events: hunting bull elk, herding elk over the edge of the cliff, races, marathons, wolf versus wolf fights, just to name a few.

The next morning, I woke up and stretched my sore bones. The sun was shining and I could feel it in my blood that spring was here before I even stepped outside. Once I did though, the sun was near blinding. I widened my eyes to see that the snow had almost melted; small brown patches of once-frozen grass dotted the landscape of the Dead Forest. The dry river actually showed signs of moisture!

I could also see a wolf hunting in the distance for elk near the Saltus Hunting Grounds. I knew him; his name was Duxas, the alpha of the Rubiat Pack. His yellow-tan pelt shone in the sunlight like mine did in the moonlight. He was the sole alpha and only about two years old. He, like me, was a wolf who possessed extraordinary skill in all areas.

I turned toward my breakfast, captured last night, and growled menacingly at a coyote who had tried to sneak a bite. The coyote scurried away in fright. I began to eat, and then proceeded to mark my expansive territory.

Today differed from the norm in two ways, first, that I could detect the scent of other wolves in my territory. The scent was old and stale, but the fact that it was very near to the Silvam Hunting Grounds worried me. The second way was that I discovered where the scent was coming from via other border markers: Festire wolves. Festire wolves had been hunting in the Silvam Hunting Grounds: _My_ hunting grounds! The twilight was nearing, but I needed to go talk to the Festire Pack's alphas: Agros and Flume.

This was not unusual these days; wolves all over the mountain wanted their hunting grounds back. I was willing to share it with them, but in every peace treaty I would try to negotiate with every alpha (that would always fall through), the neighboring pack would want more than their share. Both the Capion and Festire Pack alphas wanted not just the whole hunting grounds, but also a sizeable percentage of my territory.

I was not stupid. The message was clear: they wanted me gone.

The only pack that had not tried to negotiate for the Silvam Hunting Grounds at all was the Rubiat Pack. The hunting grounds were no use them anyway, for their camp was too far form the Dead Forest.

Therefore I was on good terms with Duxas and the Rubiat, and they were a good ally to have.

I was surprised of the lack of security the Festire Pack had for their territory; the barks and howls of alarm did not rise up into the air until I was a mere one hundred yards away from their camp: a grove of ash trees sheltered by tall grass that came up to my knees.

I could hear heavy footsteps plodding toward me, and I stopped in the middle of a patch of tall grass.

A small group of betas, one omega, and Agros stopped in front of me.

"What do _you_ want?" Agros growled, "You are intruding a well distance into our territory!"

"What do I want?" I said, though my voice was hoarse from lack of use, "I would like some information," Agros momentarily lost his composure, but regained it soon enough. "I would like to know why I found _Festire scent_ in the Silvam Hunting Grounds!"

Agros was infuriated. "How dare you accuse us of something that we as a pack did not do! You are trying to stir up trouble and take more of what is rightfully ours!"

It looked as if a fight would be starting soon, and I'd had enough.

"Listen, a fight is not what I, what we, want right now. I just want you to question your wolves, and if they stole elk, they stole elk. However, if you did plan this…" A growl rumbled in Agros's throat. "…I just want you to know that _I have a nose!_"

Agros snarled and stalked away. His betas followed him, but the omega stayed behind for a minute. I wondered what she had to say.

"Well?" I said. "If there's something you want to tell me, go on!"

The small, gray-brown omega wolf took a deep breath and said, her eyes darting around the plain landscape,

"Well… I kind of wanted to… to…" she stuttered, "to participate in the Pack Games this year…" I wondered where she was going with this exactly. All of a sudden she blurted, "It was I who stole the elk!"

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"And why exactly did you bring up the nerve to tell me this?"

"I… I don't want to be an omega anymore. I can hunt elk as well as all of the others can… How do you become a single-wolf pack, like you did?"

Ah… I get it now.

"Well, Duxas is in charge of those things, but what about the Pack Games?" I truly mentioned the Pack Games, not because she would never survive them, not because I was a single-wolf pack by a loophole only, but because she would never survive as a single-wolf pack either, even if she could hunt.

What was I supposed to do? If I sent her to Duxas she would surely make a coyote of herself…

I sighed in exasperation. Why did I even care at all? I had lived on my own for almost a year now, a solitary wolf in the Dead Forest. The only wolves I had ever cared about were my mother, my father, and Vena. So why is this so hard?

I looked around; we were still in Festire territory and Agros and Flume might come looking for me once they found an omega wolf missing…

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" I suggested, still undecided about my motives and unsure of where we would go or do. We started in the general direction of the dry creek.

The little gray and brown dappled wolf was about the same age as me, but considerably smaller. She reminded me of Vena in a way, but gray-and-brown-dappled was a common coat pattern amongst wolves, unlike mine, a stunning moon white. I couldn't see why she was an omega though, for usually an omega's status is the result of a birth defect or a permanent injury. There was no such thing about her, and she could clearly hunt well.

_Just ask!_

"How did you become an omega?" I asked.

She took a deep breath and answered, "My father was a traitor to the pack." I nodded. Sometimes packs would assume traits about wolves just because of something their parents had done. "Agros and Flume expected me to be just like him, and they made me a permanent omega so that I couldn't rise up in the ranks of the pack," she paused, "No one's ever really cared too much about me."

A part of my heart that hadn't awoken since before Scar warmed up to the little wolf, and I found myself saying, "What's your name?"

"It's Kyla."

"Well Kyla, you can stay with me tonight," I said.

Kyla looked scared, almost frightened. She shook her head. At once, I figured out what was going on.

"What rumors have been circulating about me?"

Kyla relaxed, "They're only rumors? Oh, well… um…"

I laughed, "Maybe wolves think I'm a rabid, power-hungry wolf who wants to take over all of Amethyst Mountain?"

"Something like that,"

By now, we had entered the Dead Forest. Kyla looked around in awe at the stark white trees. We reached my den shortly, and I went hunting while my new adopted sister crashed in my bed of leaves. Later, frustrated because no elk had been brought down, I slept outside of the den in the moonlight. I would have to face the Festire in the morning…

All of a sudden, I had a thought. What if I was no better than Scar, kidnapping wolves? Then, I remembered that it was Kyla's decision to leave, and that Agros hadn't even told her to keep with the pack when they left. Comforted slightly, but not quite, I fell asleep.

_The next morning…_

Kyla was gone. Had she gone back to the Festire? Was she merely a spy, reporting on me to Agros and Flume?

Feeling betrayed, I called, "Kyla! Where are you?" when I heard a shuffling behind me. I turned around to see none other than Kyla, dragging a good-sized elk back to camp.

"Breakfast," she said. I smiled.

_Later…_

"You can HAVE her," Agros was in my face, not quite realizing that I was twice the size of him. As for me, I couldn't quite believe my ears. I had expected Agros to be quit a bit more reluctant to just give away a member of his pack. My teeth were bared. Relations between the Libratus Pack (what Kyla and I call ourselves, for that was the name of my parents' pack, in the ancient wolf language "Libratus" means "freedwolves") and the Festire Pack were getting worse by the second.

"That's fine with me! You'll regret it, for she's the best hunter I've ever seen in the rank of an _omega_!" I stormed away, running back to our camp in the Dead Forest. For a second a fleeting look across Agros' face told that he was going to send the betas flanking him after me, but he must have decided against it, because it disappeared as soon as it came.

As soon as I got back, out of breath, Kyla asked, "What went wrong? Are they going to take me back?" I shook my head in a "no" gesture.

"He was fine to let me have you! He sounded like he wanted to get rid of you!" I began to pace the yellow grass in front of my den. All of a sudden I noticed a dead tree where there wasn't one before; it had fallen over and it looked like it had been dragged to the clearing, judging by the rut it had left behind. "How did that get there?"

Kyla blushed sheepishly. "I was going to expand the den."

Filled with pride, I suggested, "Well, the Pack Games are coming up and if we want to prove Agros wrong, _you_ need training! You have extraordinary skills for an omega, but to harness those powers, training is necessary. Shall we start now?" Kyla nodded enthusiastically.

We started with hunting. Having a whole hunting ground to ourselves had its advantages, and we were completely undisturbed as I taught hunting techniques to Kyla that I was sure no other wolf knew. After Kyla's techniques were significantly better, it was dark and we began to head back to the den. Kyla instantly crashed in the den, but I stayed awake, sitting outside in the full moon.

"I'm going hunting," I said to Kyla, who had almost, but not quite, fallen asleep. She hadn't the faintest idea that I had no intention of going hunting at all, but rather, I was going to see Duxas. The Pack Games began in five days, and I had to speak to him about a matter.

About an hour later, I reached Rubiat territory, located in the Soda region of the Pine Forest. I wanted to maintain peace with the Rubiat, so I waited outside the border for a scout to come and get me. No scout came, instead, Duxas himself padded through the bushes. He must've known it was me.

The yellow-tan wolf named Duxas was only slightly bigger than me, being male. He was one of the only wolves I could look straight in the eye, rather than having to look down at him, which in itself was awkward.

I saluted him, but he said in his deep throng of a voice, "There is no need, Luminara. What brings you all the way to Soda?" Duxas and Kyla were the only wolves who called me by my name, Luminara.

"As you may know by now, the Festire Pack has willingly given me one of its members, named Kyla. Together we form the Libratus Pack again. I just wanted to register this with you and the plans for the Pack Games." I said, but Duxas was laughing.

"Really Luminara, I know you. You would not come all the way to Soda to simply register another pack member with me! Tell me, what is on your mind?" Duxas laid down on the ground, and to be polite, so did I.

Duxas and I go way back; his parents were friends of my parents, and as a result, we became best of friends. When my parents were killed and our old territory lost, the Rubiat offered to take me in, but I refused.

From then on, I was independent, and always would be.

Until I met Kyla, I was a single-wolf pack. I refused to become a dispersal wolf, for dispersals, like omegas, do not compete in the Pack Games. I wanted to carry on the name of our pack, Libratus, and obey my parents' dying wish, so I fought to maintain my status as an alpha. Eventually, Duxas rose in power and aided me by finding a loophole in the rules.

I sighed, giving up, and said, "You remember Vena, right?" Duxas nodded, not even flinching at the sound of her name. "I have reason to believe she's still alive. After the Pack Games, I'm going to go to Slough Creek and look for her."

"So why do you come to me?"

"I need someone to look after Kyla and the territory while I'm gone. The Pack Games only last a few weeks, and already the Festire have their eyes on the Silvam Hunting Grounds."

Duxas nodded again, but he was staring off at a point somewhere over my shoulder. Eventually, he replied, "The Rubiat would be happy to assist you," but he still had that faraway look on his face.


	2. Twilight

**A/N: ****I am aware that "gameses" is not a word, I am using it to create an atmosphere. I've also decided to make chapters shorter so that I can publish more often. Tell me what you think.**

**Things get interesting in this chapter, I hope you like it!**

The Pack Games started today. I was fine, besides my parents' dying wish, my natural unfriendliness toward other wolves, and the responsibility for Kyla being constantly on my mind, I was completely fine… Oh yes…

Kyla however, was a nervous wreck, quite a bit more so than I was. She was pacing the length of the now expanded den muttering tips and strategies I had taught her in the last few days to herself.

"If the opposing wolf is bigger than you then to defeat it, you use a combination of speed, agility, and… and…" she looked at me for help.

"Strategy."

"Yes, that's it!" she exclaimed, and went back to pacing the den.

I looked at the afternoon sun, which was beginning to touch the horizon. The opening ceremony was at sunset, where both wolf gods would be present.

"We should probably get going, Kyla," I said. She nodded weakly. As for me, a horrible knot had just formed in my stomach, and try as I might, I couldn't get it out. All of a sudden, Duxas came to mind, and the feeling that I had a friend looking after me comforted the knot slightly.

If only I knew…

Kyla and I ran across the Dry River Territory with great speed. Kyla's athletic abilities had much improved with the help of my short training program, and now she could run almost as fast as me. She breathed in and out in a rythmatic way, just as I had taught her, and it seemed to calm her down.

At last, we slowed to a quick walk as we curved around a corner of the Pine Forest, and the Lone Dead Tree and the splendor that surrounded it lied before our eyes.

Wolves were talking quietly, huddled with members of their pack. The Rubiat were over by a large black rock, the Capion by the forest, and the Festire at the foot of the hill. Duxas was standing next to the Tree, looking impatient. Kyla and I walked slowly over to say hello, but many wolf eyes were now turned toward us, the fourth pack, and me and Duxas talked in whispers.

"They're still not here… the Games are going to start any minute now!" he said, and I soon noticed that several members of the Rubiat Pack were absent from the area. I presumed they were hunting the sacrificial bull elk, but obviously had not returned quite yet. "At sunset the ceremony is supposed to begin!"

"Do you want me to go look for them?" I suggested.

"No… No wolf can cover that expanse in such a short period of time. They may return while you are still looking, and then _you_ will be late."

Oh, duh. Why didn't I consider that before?

The Pack Games were originally founded by the wolf gods, Aulii and Solu, to create friendship between packs, to help two-year-olds find mates, and diminish a struggle for power within the pack (betas wanting to become alphas would maybe save the violence for the Games). But by the looks of past Pack Gameses and what I was seeing now, the wolf gods really need to rethink the air of competition…

Duxas cleared his throat, and everyone was silent. I knew what happened next, the alpha in charge of the Games (this year, it was Duxas) would make an opening speech and the traditional Burning of the Tree would take place shortly afterward.

The Lone Dead Tree was dead for a reason: The same wolf gods spoken of earlier had dedicated the tree sacred. It would never fall or waver from its position. Every year the tree was set on fire as an opening ceremony to the Pack Games. It had long since died, but it would always remain here until the end of the Earth, or until the wolf gods declared it otherwise. Also, as a part of the enchantment, nothing else, not even the grass around it, would ever catch on fire like the tree.

A flaming torch was held aloft by sticks in two Rubiat Betas' mouths. The other Rubiat who had been hunting the bull elk returned, dragging a once-proud bull elk in their wake. Several looked scruffy, bruised, and beat up, and one had a large cut on his shoulder. This elk must have been stronger than the average, which would explain why they were late. Duxas shot dirty looks at them for being late, and they hung their heads as much as they could with a large elk in their mouth. The elk was placed at the bottom of the tree. Kyla and I retreated to the edge of the tall grasses around the tree, tall grasses that would, over the next few months, be trampled by constant wolf traffic.

Duxas began his opening speech in a strong, clear voice that was present in most alpha wolves, "Welcome to this year's Pack Games!" The field around the Lone Dead Tree erupted in cheers. "We have a new pack joining us this Pack Games, the Libratus Pack." All cheers were silenced. All eyes turned toward us. And then the whispers started.

"It's the White Wolf!"

"Who is that with her?"

"She's an omega from the Festire Pack!"

"An omega? Is she a prisoner?"

"Probably."

This conversation was one of many that were probably very similar. A scowl stretched across my face as all this was going on. Rumors had been circulating about _me_ since our pack was destroyed, but they didn't DARE bring Kyla into this! I felt my lip curling backward, but I knew I shouldn't do anything during the opening ceremony. The gods would spell bad luck for my pack, and I couldn't let my parents or Kyla down. I was saved by Duxas.

"Their alpha is _Luminara_, and their beta is Kyla. They are both two years old." He put an emphasis on my name. Many had forgotten it or just didn't want to say it, everyone just called me "The White Wolf" as if my real name was taboo, which it probably was. So stupid… It was probably hard to imagine that we were both two years of age, I was so large for my size and Kyla was so small.

Duxas began to pray to Aulii, the wolf god of the sun, asking for him to bless the Pack Games during the day, and then to Solu, the wolf god of the moon, asking him to bless the Games during the evening and at night. The other wolves joined in.

Finally, to make the beginning of the Games official, the two Rubiat betas dropped the flaming torch at the base of the tree and the tree instantly ignited in flames, a symbol that the wolf gods approved of these games and that we could freely begin.

Thrill flooded my veins and all of my nervousness vanished. I was going to fulfill my parents' wish, and then I was going to search all of Slough Creek for Vena. I would search the rest of my life if it took me that long.

But then, the unthinkable happened.

The tree's flames, and the wolves' cheers, were put out in one swift motion and the world was plunged into darkness. Clouds covered the moon. The wolf gods suddenly did not approve of the games. Was it because I was having thoughts about leaving Amethyst Mountain that they didn't want the games to continue? Never in past Games had this happened before! The clearing was absolutely silent, until the howls were heard.

First one, then two, then several, until what must have been fifty wolves started howling a battle cry, a horrible, earsplitting battle cry. A small earthquake shook the ground, and then what was far more than fifty wolves ran at full speed over the ridge, through the lake, and down the hill. To come that way, they must've had to climb the cliffs.

There was only one pack I knew that was this large. One pack had such a horrible battle cry. One pack could upset the wolf gods so much as to postpone the Games. One pack could climb the cliffs so nimbly. I began to shake.

"Luminara, what's wrong?" Kyla whispered into my ear. I was hyperventilating. I was sure I would pass out.

"Scar's pack," I said, almost so that the only person who could hear me was myself, though Kyla was listening right next to me. I had the impulse to run, but instead, I walked to the foot of the hill and stood strong, lips curled and growling. Duxas joined me.

My worst nightmare halted his monstrous pack and approached us with a swagger.

"Hello, Luminara," he said. Then shouted, making all of the Amethyst Mountain wolves jump in surprise, "Who runs the Pack Games here?"

Duxas stepped forward confidently as if Scar didn't scare him at all. Duxas was afraid of nothing, which was part of what made him such a great friend.

What he said next startled me in a way, "My name is Duxas. I am the alpha male of the Rubiat Pack." He gestured toward his pack, who sat up a little bit straighter and stopped cowering, "How may I help you?"

Scar looked insulted to be addressed so politely and confidently by a foreign alpha. He growled and began to speak in a low, slow voice that chilled me to the spine and made my snow-white pelt quiver, "There is nothing more I want than to participate in your _Pack Games_, Duxas."

"That is for Aulii and Solu to decide." Duxas replied.

Scar scowled. His scowl was enough to make anyone cower, especially when he narrowed the eye with the scar, but not Duxas. I tried my best to remain calm and collected, but it was hard to do so when you were looking at the face of the wolf who single-handedly ruined your life.

"You are not welcome here," Duxas finally said after along and awkward pause. "The Lone Dead Tree stopped burning right when you showed up, a sign that the wolf gods disapprove. You have no right to participate in the Pack Games, for your pack does not have territory on or in the vicinity or Amethyst Mountain."

"How old are you?" a smile replaced Scar's scowl, "I _do_ own territory here, at the foot of the cliffs. Right Luminara?" His pointy teeth and pleased eyes unnerved Duxas.

How dare he bring my lost territory up in this! This is _it_!

"Sure… after you destroyed my family! Where is Vena, you fiend?" My voice rang across the clearing. There goes any chance of being friends with them…

But Scar steps aside, and there is Vena, standing strong, proud, and healthy behind him.

"Vena!" I exclaim, but she looks at me with a cold, hard, glance.

The tree behind me and Duxas emits a spark, then another, and pretty soon a whole branch is burning. The tree was on fire once again.

"You can leave now," I said to Scar, almost haughtily.

"Okay," he replied, which caught me off guard, "Come, Aytra."

Scar begins to leave, _with Vena_, now "Aytra". I couldn't lose her again.

"Stop!" I shouted in his wake. He and his pack halted, and he turned around with a sneer on his face.

"Yes?"

"You… You can participate in the Pack Games. But only twenty of your wolves can." As soon as I said this, the tree shot into the sky the tallest flame anyone had ever seen emit from the tree. The Amethyst Mountain wolves whisper among each other, and Duxas looks at me like I'm mad, which I probably am.

"The first challenge starts tomorrow at dawn, right?" he said. I nodded. "Good. We, the Tationes Pack, will be there."

_Later…_

"ARE YOU INSANE?"

Duxas had pulled me into the woods later that night, after the ceremony, with a "We need to talk!" Well, this "talk" was feeling very one-sided right now…

"I had to do it! Vena was there! Do you realize that what I've wanted more than anything in the whole mountain is to see her again? Do you realize you've been reluctant as my only friend to let me go on the journey to Slough Creek since I've told you about it? Is that why you didn't say anything? Aulii and Solu _approve_. The wolf gods LIKE what I did!"

There was a pause, a very awkward one.

"Luminara, please understand that all of this has been very out of the ordinary for me…"

"Well, life isn't ordinary! Life has little surprises along the path… Like your parents' murderer and your long-lost sister coming to greet you!"

Duxas was at a loss for words.

"Luminara, I'm sorry if I upset you. This must have been traumatizing for you and I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay… I'm fine." I said, letting out a large sigh. For the first time since I had met him, I had fought with Duxas. I wished this was all a bad dream, that I could pinch myself and wake up, that life would go on like normal.

But no, thinking that would be hypocritical. I said it myself, life throws obstacles in your path, and I will do my best to overcome them.

Little did I know, this was one of many.

**A/N: If you start a new game on Amethyst Mountain, you will notice that there is a dead elk at the foot of the Lone Dead Tree, which is partially where I got the idea for the "sacrificial bull elk". Scar and Vena were a surprise, no? Expect more random things like that. Random things called PLOT. Called LIFE as Luminara puts it. Too bad Luminara's life is fictional, a life that KitKat-Mint made up from the depths of her brain…**

_**Next…**_ The first challenge of the Pack Games arises, and Scar has chosen many more than twenty wolves to compete. Luminara discovers that Vena regards her as the person who ruined her life, because Scar twisted her mind to believe it. Why is Duxas giving Luminara the silent treatment, even though she forgave him the night before?

**Annoying Announcer Guy****: Find out, next time on… **_**The White Wolf!**_


	3. River

**Sorry for the late update! I'm stocking up on chapters for another story so that its readers won't have to endure my super-slow updating. The only drawback is that **_**you**_** have to endure my even slower updating. :) I am trying!**

**Enjoy the chapter! -Kat**

Kyla was doing her best to stay out of my way.

The rest of _that_ day, I was inconsolable; refusing to talk to anyone, even my new adopted sister.

_Adopted sister… _the very phrase reminded me of just who showed up yesterday and demanded a role in the Pack Games. I still had a sister. And she was not dead. But she was under the control of that horrible wolf, Scar. I didn't even know his real name, he was just Scar to me and always would be.

Later yesterday, I ran all the way to Soda, only to get shut out by Duxas' pack.

"I am sorry," a gray female beta said, "but Duxas has given us special orders not to let you in the territory." By the look on her face I could tell she truly was. She probably knew about our friendship. I just nodded and walked back toward my territory, which I still had yet to mark, but I went straight into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, Kyla woke me up. It was almost dawn, the time the first event of Pack Games were supposed to begin. I was exhausted and groggy, but I dragged myself to the Tree anyway. I took my time getting there, and for good reason too.

The whispers and the rumors started as soon as I rounded the corner. My second nickname, after 'The White Wolf' was now, 'The White Wolf who Knows that Unfriendly Pack who Messed up the Pack Games Opening Ceremony'. I preferred 'The White Wolf', this new one was quite a mouthful. And it was true, Scar's pack, the Tationes, was very unfriendly. Each Amethyst Mountain pack was composed of about twenty wolves, but his had a number of over seventy, outnumbering us greatly. The Tationes wolves instantly took advantage of us the moment they were allowed use of the Saltus hunting grounds, and that poor elk herd is now almost completely wiped out.

This is one of the few times I considered sharing my territory, but decided against it. In case you didn't already figure this out about me, I'm very stubborn. Haven't you noticed?

The crowd gathered after breakfast for the first event: a swimming challenge. Wolves were surprisingly good swimmers around here, but the event wouldn't be as exciting to watch as, say, the fights. Wolves sometimes emerged seriously injured after those.

The only thing I was worried about in swimming was the Tationes. We had a tiny pond to practice in. They had a moving creek, with depth.

I pondered some more why exactly the Tationes would want to play in _this year's_ pack games. To annoy me? I wouldn't be surprised. Scar seems to like ruining lives. But there must be something bigger, in the grand scheme of things…

But I wasn't going to put too much thought on it now.

I spotted Duxas, just before the first race started (the beta Smilox was challenging Cyan, the Capion alpha with an odd blue shine to her coat, to a power match), talking to Scar. Well, maybe 'talking' wasn't quite the right word. They were in each other's faces, growling and snarling with teeth bared. I caught hints of their 'conversation', including,

"All seventy-seven of your wolves wish to compete? This is an outrage! We agreed that in order to let you compete, you would choose _twenty_ of your wolves, the average size of one of our packs!"

"Well, maybe that average needs to be adjusted. You have everyone in your pack but two omegas competing, so it would only be natural for me to do the same."

"These Games will be _fair_!"

"LIFE is not fair!" (at this I snarled under my breath. Look who's talking!)

And so on, and so on. Nope, I think any faint chance of friendship with the Tationes has gone down the river with the spring tide.

Cyan is one of the coolest Alphas I know. Besides the negotiations for the Silvam Hunting Grounds, we're on fairly good terms. She wins the Capion power struggles every year with her mate and fellow Alpha, Talwon. Talwon himself is a fairly large wolf (but not as much as Duxas and I), with a black and silver coat. However, Smilox was a fairly good swimmer. But he still couldn't beat Cyan and Talwon, who will remain Capion alphas until someone else challenges them and beats them.

My turn was coming up soon enough. The way the Pack Games work is very complicated, and only the year's Game Master (Duxas, this year) really understands it. But I'll do my best to explain the basics.

If you are a beta and want to challenge an alpha, you challenge said alpha at some point in your schedule, and if he or she accepts, you go register the challenge with the Game Master (Duxas, again). Sometime during the Pack Games, you will compete against the alpha you challenge and either win or lose. If you win, great! You are now the alpha and you and your mate will lead the pack (there have been some instances where the mate did not want to lead, but were stuck with the role. Those were never pretty…) If you lose, things go on as normal. Ta-da. No change.

The events for two year olds are a bit more complicated. Yes, two year olds can challenge alphas, but that's not always the smartest thing to do. The alpha will beat you, guaranteed. But that's actually how Duxas came to power, though not through the Pack Games. But that's another story.

Basically, the Game Master arranges you in events according to skill level (big wolves compete against other athletic wolves, small wolves against weaker wolves, etc.) If you place first, you get ten points. If you get second, you receive eight. Third place gets you six, and so on. At the end of the Games, the she-wolf and the male two year old, in the same pack, with the most points, are paired, and then the Game Master goes down the list. Congratulations, you now have a mate. Yippee.

I've never really given serious thought about mating through the Pack Games. I suppose since my pack has no male wolves, someone from a different pack will be joining us, so that leaves me and Kyla a lot of possible candidates. I'll have to speak to Duxas about that, if I ever talk to him again.

There have been some instances where two year olds were paired with someone they just couldn't get along with, or had grudges against. But in _all_ instances…

The wolf had gotten over it and lived their happy lives, often learning to like their mate. The legends say that love was a gift from Aulii, and that she can manipulate it, too, encouraging wolves to get along. Mating is really no big deal. It's the games themselves that wolves are excited about! Who can get the most points? Who's the alpha of the Festire Pack this year? (it's always changing, and I'm glad Agros will soon be unseated).

But the biggest question of all: What in the name of Maconis are _they_ doing here? The Tationes? By the way, Maconis is a famous hero who defeated the Yellow Monsters, and said to be the son of Solu and a mortal she-wolf, but I highly doubt that.

As I watch Smilox and Cyan, I listen to all of the talk about the Tationes, who are sitting alone on the other side of the pond. Rumors already say that _I _sent them. Sure, I know them, but seriously? Did I really look that happy when Scar showed up?

No, I was not happy at all. That wolf has turned my life upside down. Again.

And the swimming events went on. A Festire beta challenged Flume, which I say wasn't that smart at all. Everyone knows that Flume is the best swimmer around, and he got beat. A lot. But, I was kind of disappointed that Festire power hasn't been usurped yet. Darn, I have to put up with Agros for another few weeks.

Then was the first two year old match, small two year old she-wolves (Duxas was very organized about it this year). This was Kyla's first event. At first, I was nervous. My little training program had not included swimming, and I was scared that Kyla didn't know how to swim at all, but she pulled through, placing third out of eight. I suppose if she was able to sneak out to steal elk from my hunting grounds, she had snuck out before, probably to practice her skills at other things. The forest didn't grow in a day, after all.

After the swimming was almost over, my event approached. I was in the last she-wolf competition, the one reserved for the super-athletic wolves, or the giant ones, like me.

Sometimes my size is a big pain.

I got in the water and lined up next to all of the other wolves. The crowd hushed, and all eyes were on me. Duxas started the countdown on three, and when he shouted, "GO!" I splashed into the water with all of the others, thinking of my parents' wish.

You know, I wonder if my parents' wish had something to with Scar's pack coming here. Strange coincidence.

I was right about the Tationes being better swimmers, though. Duxas had made a compromise with Scar (if that was possible): He would let all of his wolves participate in two events, and then only the twenty best could play. There were six Tationes wolves in this race, and three were ahead of me.

Other times, like this one, my size is a _really_ big pain in the tail. I wished I was more streamlined.

But I soon figured out that I could create a nice wake if I pretended to get a foot stuck in the mud.

Oftentimes, my size is a sort of advantage. Thankfully, none of the judges noticed that.

In my very first event, I placed second, after a Tationes wolf. But she looked… older than me. Not bigger, but older. I wondered if she was actually two years old, like she told Duxas she was. I'll have to speak to Duxas about that.

If I ever speak to Duxas again.

You know, I really shouldn't let this last for long.

"Duxas! Hey!" No response from Duxas. It was noon, after the swimming events, and the running races were supposed to begin in an hour, allowing time for a hunt. Duxas had been talking absently with fellow Rubiat betas, but was now off on his own. I seized the opportunity, but was getting absolutely no results so far. This seriously wasn't like him, just to be mad at someone. Normally, Duxas is always ready to forgive.

He was heading out into the forest through a narrow path between tall pine trees, their boughs providing cool shade. I was still wet, and with a breeze, it felt nice out here. I stepped in front of Duxas. He wouldn't ignore his best friend any longer.

"Luminara, I've been meaning to talk to you…"

"No, you haven't. You've been ignoring me since last night."

"I apologize. But this is about your sister, and I've been thinking about how to break this to you," Duxas' face was solemn, and I stiffened. This must be serious if he was only avoiding me in case I asked…

"Well, I'm ready to hear whatever it is."

Duxas sighed. "Okay… Well, your sister… Alright, I'll start from the beginning: last night. Rowana told me that you wanted to come see me, but that she had orders to shut you out and did." Rowana was the wolf that sent me home… "But I wasn't even at the camp. I was negotiating with Scar at the bottom of the cliffs-"

"Wait, Scar's his _name_?" Scar was my nickname for him… that I had never told anybody…

"Um, yes. Luminara, he has your sister completely under his influence."

"You think I haven't noticed that?"

"Well… That's not all."

"I knew you were going to say that."

"She does not remember me or Amethyst Mountain at all." I froze up. Duxas had good reason to avoid me.

"How can a wolf just wipe someone's memories?"

"That's exactly what I'm speculating. And I don't think Scar is an ordinary wolf." Now this made me think. If Scar had the power to wipe memories… what else could he do? More terrible things? And… could this be shown in the Pack Games?

"_If_ Scar has powers of some sort… Do you think we could trick him into showing them?"

"You read my mind, Luminara." Duxas smiled as he said this. "In order to get your sister back, she needs to know who you are first. And if Scar does have abilities of sorts, than he is the only one that can reverse this. And we need to figure out _if_ he has powers at all." It was a far-fetched theory, but it made a strange sense.

And I realized just how dangerous Scar might be.

_**NEXT... **_After the second event in the Pack Games, Duxas, Kyla, and Luminara team up to answer one question: Does Scar have powers of sorts? If not, why is "Ayta's" memory wiped? And Luminara begins to discover the shocking reason why Scar wants Vena in his pack...

**Find the answers to it all as the story continues!**


	4. Windswept

**After reading a seriously awesome book recently, I've totally revamped my writing style. Let me know if you think the revamping was for the better or for the worse, please.**

**Cobwebs are the Wolfquest-world form of bandages. Applause in Wolfquest-world is howling, not clapping.**

**Though this story is the one of my two in-progress works in the **_**smaller**_** section, it has actually become more popular than my other one (gasp!) Therefore, this has become my top priority. I'm very sorry for leaving you guys for so long… If you want to sign up for a PM list for update times, PM me or attach it to a review.**

**The forest glen spoken about not too far from this note is right by the forest elk hunting grounds: the larger gaggle of trees in the clearing.**

**-KKM**

"That's a bit far-fetched for me. Magic powers? I mean, he's creepy and all, but I dunno…"

Duxas and I had informed Kyla about the Scar Theory, and she was having a difficult time believing it. I mean, it was better than keeping her in the dark about everything. Eyes trained toward the ground, Kyla was slowly but surely accepting what she'd gotten herself into as a part of the Libratus. She shifted her paws back and forward, whipping her tail in a similar fashion.

You know, she'd only been a part of the Libratus for six days at the most… Poor Kyla. Her life had changed so much recently, for the better or for the worse, she's not telling me. Even I've been touched by my own new recruit; I haven't opened up to anyone since… yeah. I prefer not to think about Vena right now. I train my mind towards Scar and stopping Scar, though it's hard and painful to think about the evil things that follow in his wake.

We were in the same forest glen Duxas and I were in earlier, a deep dip in the ground sheltered by pine trees, brush, and heather. It would make a great den if it weren't smack in the middle of a clearing, or part of the Capion Pack's territory.

But apparently, it wasn't good enough. Voices were approaching us at a rapid rate, and they sounded like Tationes snarls. Kyla gave me a frightened look, _"Luminara, what do I do?"_ Duxas, being the brave and chivalrous alpha he is, sits straight and tall, but as still as a stone. I hide Kyla as well as I could, and silently prick my ears for any order from Duxas. He says or does nothing but stares unblinkingly at the nearest pine, trying to conceal his golden pelt.

We all could assume the same thing instantly, with only an exchange of glances and nods: these wolves were up to no good whatsoever, and if we were discovered hiding in secret, talking about their leader, we were in big trouble. Duxas, being the Games Master for the year, might even be stripped of his position. But these wolves had no authority here, right?

Very wrong… Or _was_ I right? The laws had been bent and twisted around so much recently that I wasn't certain.

The intruding wolves snatched my mind from its reality back to the one I shared with Kyla and Duxas, when I was certain I could hear snippets of their conversation. They didn't know we were here. They thought they were alone. But yet, their conversation was halting, unsure, and I could picture the Tationes wolves looking over their shoulder, alert at every rustle a terrified Kyla made. Whatever they were talking about wasn't supposed be heard by anyone, maybe not even their leader. Conversations of that sort are meant to be eavesdropped upon.

"Are you sure, Miniwe?" said one voice.

"Positive," the voice called Miniwe responded, apparently female, and surprisingly kind and soft for a Tationes wolf, "He is completely in the dark about everything, from our work even to the full geography of this mountain."

"Good," said a third voice, "He cannot know the vast extent of that traitor's plans. I tell you, he has everything mapped out but-"

"Electow!" Miniwe shushed the third voice, Electow. "The forest has ears! Nowhere is totally safe on this mountain…"

_How true…_ I thought with a sly grin. Unbeknownst to them, they were being eavesdropped upon even as they spoke about security.

"I'm sorry, Madam…" Electow continued in a soft whisper almost so that I could not hear it, "But I meant… her."

"The Wild Card," the first wolf chimed in again.

The wolves were silent for a few taut seconds.

"Let us move," said Miniwe, "Like I said before…"

"Yes Madam," the other two wolves chimed in unison.

All was silent for what felt like seasons, until Kyla spoke, voice still quivering,

"We need a new hiding spot…"

"Aulii blesses us," said Duxas.

Right now, I was no longer worried about safety or being found out, I wanted to talk about what we (or at least I) had heard. I was certain the "Wild Card" was me.

"I heard everything they said. They talked about a traitor…"

"To who?" Duxas inquired, "To the Tationes, or to us? And who is being kept in the dark?"

"Scar, I'll bet," Kyla piped in, "Maybe they're planning to join the traitor and overthrow him!"

"And the 'Wild Card'…" I muttered.

"The 'Wild Card'…"

"Yeah…"

After a moment of silent, hearing nothing but the chirping birds and the clumsy bypassing of elk, we agreed to sleep on things, to ignore them for now. The next challenge of the Pack Games was in less than half an hour and I needed to be prepared. Obstacle Running was one of my strengths, but it was a lot of others' too.

The incident not long ago troubled me, and I found that I was walking in circles. I headed back to the den to stretch, and saw that I was walking back to the clearing for something, and then going back, and again… What ended up happening was that I showed up for my race without warming up at all, and felt uneasy once I put the overheard conversation out of my mind. I didn't know who was Miniwe, who was Electow, and who was the other male wolf that was with them. Something was compelling me to discover everything, but I knew I didn't have nearly enough information to do so. Right now I had to focus on the race.

I was, once again, the last race. Kyla had gone earlier, and placed first (I'm so proud!). In Obstacle Running, you had to get from one end of the cliffs to the other while dodging, jumping over, and diving under obstacles such as trees, large rocks and hidden holes. More than one wolf had gotten hurt in this event, especially by twisting their paws in the holes.

No one had ever fallen off the cliffs before. The cliffs were just there to give the competition some excitement, and to add an incentive to the wolves (you can create more space between you and the cliffs if you get ahead of everyone else). Duxas stood beside me and the five other wolves competing, and after three headstrong shouts, the race was on.

I started out ahead, and dodging several well-concealed holes, dived under a log. The Festire wolf in third place got stuck under the log, her pelt catching on one of the branches, and several others piled up behind her. You couldn't jump over an obstacle meant to be dived under or vice versa, or else you were instantly disqualified and no points would be added to your total. It was better to be stuck in a pile-up.

One wolf had made it out of the pile-up with surprising grace, one that I didn't recognize and assumed belonged to the Tationes Pack. She was catching up to me, and had a look of determination on her face that said, _"You will not win…"_ but in such a savage way that I wondered how the Tationes trained their pups. I shot her a glance back that said, _"Really?"_

But it was the one second alone that was needed to distract my eyes from the road…

A gripping pain seized my ankle and I realized I had fallen in a hole. The world moved in a blur, and I felt the ground twisting and slipping away from me like a silver fish in a slimy creek… The clouds were spinning, nothing made any sense, I couldn't think, and suddenly…

The sky had changed. A thunderstorm filled the horizon and rain pelted my coat. Scar stood on the top of the cliffs, laughing manically… mocking me as I fell… yet he wasn't Scar. He had no scar. And the world slid out of focus, and into blank nothingness.

"You're lucky, little miss…" A mystery male wolf stood over me, but I could not see him. I dared open my eyes, and the world spun around and around, a hazy fog of trees and dirt. I struggled to talk.

"Who… where… Duxas…"

"Don't worry, little miss! I'm Culit, and you're in what y'all call the 'Deep Valley'. You had a nasty fall there…" Culit gladly replied. I gazed at my surroundings. I was in the Deep Valley, but this particular cave I couldn't identify. I don't think even my parents knew about it… But wasn't there mystery dispersal scent my parents could never identify…? He must be it. Culit was an aged gray wolf, but with dabs of brown here and there. He had a joyful light in his eyes that said he'd lived a long, happy life.

Memories flooded back. Duxas, Kyla, and the others had no idea where I was…

"Culit, how long was I unconscious?" I inquired. Culit drew some leaves out of a cranny in the rock and began to mash them under his paw.

"About a week, little miss…" Culit continued to mash the leaves into a pulp. I gasped, and tried to stand, but pain shot through my ankle and shoulder, as well as all along my flanks, and head…

Then I realized what must've happened. I looked up and down, and was shocked to see myself in such a shape. Scratches and bruises dotted my skin everywhere, my shoulder and ankle was covered in cobwebs.

"Culit, the others…"

"Know you're here. You're not healthy enough to be dragged back up the cliffs just yet. Don't worry 'bout it. Eat this, you'll feel better." He gave me the pulp, and I ate it grudgingly. It was fairly disgusting, but it eased the throb in my shoulder and ankle.

"Glad'jer awake."

I nodded. So was I. There was so much to do… Events had been missed, there were points to be recovered. Kyla was running the pack… Then came the question of my fall itself. But I could barely remember any of it. One more thing to ask Duxas.

And speaking of whom…

"Culit, how is Luminara?" Duxas' baritone echoed throughout the cave.

"Fine, youngin'. Nice of you to drop in again. 'Fact, she's awake, and seems to want to see you…" Culit responded matter-of-factly.

Duxas padded around the corner, and his face lit up at the sight of me lying healthy (or somewhat) on the stone floor.

"Luminara!"

"Duxas! Culit says I've been out for a week… the Games… Kyla!" I could barely get my rush of feelings and emotions out of my mouth in one sentence. Duxas laughed, and I was almost certain I'd never seen him this elated before.

"Okay… I'll start from the beginning," he said.

"After you fell, I halted the race. At first, we were unsure of what to do since no one of us could go down there to see if you were okay or not. Scar offered to send one of his wolves down there to get you, but we refused. However, none of us else could climb the cliffs. It was a huge relief when Culit showed up at the bottom of the cliffs an hour later saying he'd rescued you." I understood. Duxas hadn't wanted to send someone he didn't trust to come down to see if I was alright.

"So how did you get down here now?" I queried.

Duxas looked exasperated as he replied, "Two Tationes wolves hauled me down. They looked none too happy about it." The sooner I was back on the Mountain, the better.

"The Games are postponed."

"Postponed? Aulii and Solu-"

"Approve. We lit the tree again to check. With one of the seven alphas gone, it even says in the rules that the Games cannot continue." I nodded. "Kyla is running the Libratus Pack."

"How is she?"

"She's fine… More than fine, actually. She'll make a strong leader one day, Luminara." I smiled. "…She drove the Festire out of the Silvam Hunting Grounds all by herself." Part of me was filled with pride at Kyla's growth, and the other was angry at the Festire for taking advantage of my absence.

I was, in general, relieved. Nothing seriously drastic had happened… But what about the traitor, the Wild Card, Miniwe, and Electow? I didn't want to speak about the conversation we had eavesdropped from the three Tationes wolves in front of Culit, but I did want to talk about the Tationes.

"The Tationes? Vena?" I said.

Duxas sighed. "The Tationes have risen in power since you fell. Luminara, you are going to have to share your elk herd." I stared solemnly at the cave wall. There were too many wolves, and not enough elk, even with our spring resources. "Vena is still as brainwashed as ever."

I stared at the cave wall even harder.

"Culit?" I asked.

"Yep?"

"Can I go home now?"

"If yer strong 'nuff to make it."

"Thank you Culit, for everything you've done." I said gratefully. It was true. He saved my life.

"No prob. Come back any time ya need some help, provided you can climb those hills."

Duxas and I left after saying goodbye to Culit, the good dispersal samaritan, and headed back to the cliffs. Culit was skilled in healing, and I only felt soreness in my ankle, shoulder, and the deepest of scratches on my flank. I still had to limp back to the Mountain, though.

Two Tationes wolves waited for us there, presumably the ones that brought Duxas down.

"Get a move on; we don't have all day!"

Growling under my breath as Duxas climbed with the help of the Tationes, I placed my first injured paw on the foot of the cliffs. It was a long way to the top.

Duxas was a quick learner, and he was almost to the top before he climbed the rest of the sheer drop alone. With my injured ankle, I climbed slower and less nimbly, but I was able to still make the expanse on my own. My parents, having lived in the Deep Valley, taught me to climb and not to fear the cliffs at an early age. It was a battle fighting the heights as I struggled not to look down.

I reached the top, climbed over the hill, waded through the lake I had raced in what seemed as earlier today, and reached the clearing where the Lone Dead Tree stood.

Then, something amazing happened.

At first I couldn't believe it. Nobody had ever… we were always alone, separate, isolated… friends were scarce… But there it was. All four Packs of Amethyst Mountain stood at the clearing, giving me a round of applause. And there was Kyla, at the very front, leading the charge.

**Alright! Lots of weird and strange stuff in this chapter. A week has passed since the Obstacle Running challenge and lots has happened. The **_**full**_** extent of it will be revealed in the next chapter.**

_**NEXT… **_What are Miniwe, Electow, and their nameless companion _really_ up to? Luminara is desperate for information, and trying to find out gets her in tough spots. Whose side is the traitor on? What are their plans for the "Wild Card"? And is there more to Luminara's fall than meets her frazzled eye…? **(CHAPTER 5: MOONLIGHT)**


	5. Moonlight

**I am a hardcore perfectionist, in case you didn't already sorta figure that out. That's why this chapter is so late, and I was frustrated working on the story for a while. Yes, I have every intention of continuing this story. There's no _way_ I'd just leave you on a cliffhanger with nothing but a "too bad, so sad, find another favorite story!"**

**But that's what I just did, and I sincerely apologize.**

**So enjoy the chapter, and the many more chapters to come. By the way, "cycle" is more wolf lingo. It's wolf shorthand for "season cycle". I think the rest is pretty self-explanatory. New page break line! ~-~-~-~-~ is a flashback line, but with its content is told in a third-person omniscient POV. Any other flashback (bookended with a ******** typish line) will have the narrator's name underlined at the top.**

**Also: plot points. Just so you know, I NEVER write a plot point that doesn't get resolved. But I'm not perfect, so if you see as the story gets longer what looks like a plot hole, just tell me; I'd love to know. I regret not planning the full extent of the story before posting the first chapter.**

**:)**

**~MOONLIGHT~**

_It was what the wolves of the region called a "Moon Night", when the moon was out and so full it seemed to reach down and touch the earth itself. Amethyst legend tells that sometimes on nights like this, Solu will reach down with his paw and bless a pup with the Blessing of the Moon. But an event of this magnitude only happens every one hundred cycles, and it was an extremely good omen for the pack of a Moon Pup. The pup's entire pack would be bestowed immortality and invulnerability, as well as superb speed, stamina, and strength skills surpassing those of any other wolf._

_But of course, it's only legend._

_Nigr and Rufona were two already-powerful wolves, who dominated the Amethyst Mountain with a territory the size of the Mountain itself. They both agreed that in order to pass on their legacy, because they couldn't live forever, they would need heirs. Pups._

_Thus the two miniatures came to be on a Moon Night. Nigr and Rufona were shocked to see that one of their pups had an unusual… white color._

"_This is horrible! Is she an albino? Albinos bring bad luck upon their pack, you know," her mother fretted. Nigr turned the squirming pup over and said,_

"_We shall wait until her eyes open. Even rarer than an albino pup is a Moon Pup." _

_There was a moment of absolute silence as the two wolves thought about the possibility their precious daughter, still only a pup, might one day grow up to be an extraordinary, powerful wolf._

"_We must keep her safe. There's no telling what could get our child… or who would want our child," Rufona stood up and carefully took little Luminara to the den. The wind of the night stirred the lush evergreen trees over their heads._

_In the shadows by the base of a tree, another dapple-grey pup whimpered, forgotten._

Tall and proud were the wolves of Amethyst Mountain. Some of them, like Agros, not only clawed their way to the top and fought to keep control of their pack, but felt the odd desire to control everyone else, too. Others were happy being at the top of the feeding order, and to them, life was all a big competition.

I was neither. Probably the proudest of them all, for the longest time I wanted nothing more than my old life back. Now, everything has changed, and my universe has expanded by worlds.

My two best, and only, friends include Kyla, my adopted sister, and Duxas, the alpha of the Rubiat pack. Kyla, a sweet wolf from the Festire Pack, was ostracized and eventually just given away because her father was "a traitor" (that's all she'll tell me). Duxas has for a long time been the alpha of the Rubiat Pack. Golden-furred, he stands out among all the rest.

So what did these two wolves have to do with my old life? Duxas and the Rubiat offered to take me in after Scar's takeover of the Deep Valley territory. Kyla was my sweet adopted sister who offered comfort to me when I was feeling frayed.

It happened when I was on my way down the cliffs to Culit. I wanted to thank him for rescuing me from my fall, since the only other people Duxas could've trusted with my life were Tationes cliff-climbers. The Tationes still hated me for unknown reasons, and with the overheard plot still ambiguous, I shudder to think what they would've done down there with my unconscious self.

Why _did_ the Tationes hate me? The question still remained unanswered, and as I walked briskly toward the cliff I pondered it. Perhaps I pondered it so much I didn't hear the wolf coming up behind me until he whipped me around gruffly, and said to my face,

"Why are you here?"

I stared the hulking Tationes straight in the eye, and replied coldly, "I live here. Get used to it." I started to turn back toward the cliff, hoping the Tationes would be deterred and walk away. But it evidently was too much to hope for as my terse comment only made him angrier. This time there was two of him as he stepped in front of me, snarling.

"We know you _live_ here! So does the Boss! He just wants to know why you're _here_, by the cliff!"

I thought for a second before responding, "_Scar_ wants to know?"

The two wolves exchanged a glance.

"Um, yeah… yup." The second wolf said, while his partner looked on expectantly.

"I'm not a brainless coyote. Who's your boss?"

"Scar!" the first wolf shouted, making my ears flatten involuntarily, "Now answer the question, or you know what he can do!"

"What if I don't want to?" I snarled, whipped around and bounded away. Neither of the wolves followed, displaying an uncharacteristic fear. Once hidden in the forest behind the Lone Dead Tree, I turned and looked back at the dynamic duo. The first wolf was yelling and reprimanding the second, obviously for doing something horribly wrong. But I learned nothing from the second wolf… except that these wolves too might be traitors to their own pack, obeying a different "Boss". I lied down on the cool soil. All of these encounters were making my head hurt…

In the shadows of the pine forest, I continued to watch the two Tationes wolves. I felt a fleeting pang of sympathy for the second wolf as a swift blow to his head from the first opened up a crimson cut. But my hatred of the Tationes overpowered any feelings for their wolves. The Tationes were ruthless, and that would not change. The duo parted ways. The first wolf bounded away to the cliff, probably to report their failure to Scar, or whoever their boss might be. The second slowly walked toward the hunting grounds.

I must've watched the place where he disappeared into the forest for a long time.

"I've lived here for so long you prob'ly weren't even _thought_ of before I moved here! I've seen _so_ many things here, they outdo the things I saw _before_ I moved here, and that's sayin' somethin'!"

I listened politely as the retired wolf rambled on. Though, what he had to say intrigued me slightly, especially when he talked about his old home.

"Beyond those hills and around the bend of the creek, I lived," he said when I prompted the question, "Got chased out, though, by those darn Tationes. You say they're here?"

"Yes. They're here because of me, but I don't know what they want with me."

"The Tationes and their nasty ol' leader _always_ have a hidden motive, Luminara. Don't let 'em sneak up on you."

I nodded. Scar had a plan, a plot. It involved me, and possibly my friends.

"Be careful out there. That pack is ruthless."

"I will, Culit. And thank you, by the way, for saving me."

"Hey, it's the least I could do. Any enemy of the Tationes is a friend of mine."

I smiled and left Culit's unusually cavernous den.

Before climbing the cliffs again, I stared at their vastness.

_How by the wolf gods did I survive falling down them?_

A wolf I don't even know winks at me, but I suspect he's either from the Capion or Festire packs… I can't be sure. Two adolescent Rubiat wolves, last year's pups, call out to me and smile.

…A Tationes warrior takes one look at me, growls, and hurries away.

For the Tationes, their opinion of me hasn't changed. They still hate my muzzle. But for the Mountain, they now love me, and no longer treat me like an unwanted outsider.

Why?

Kyla had somehow reversed their opinion on me. I was now a hero, for some reason…

I was thinking about Kyla silently to myself, when I realized I hadn't been thinking of another sister of mine. Vena, now "Aytra", was someone who I'd put out of my mind for the past few days. I missed Vena so badly, yet I wasn't _doing_ anything to save her…

The more I thought about it, the more I considered abandoning my previous mission, barging into the Tationes camp, and kidnapping Vena. But… was that what Nigr and Rufona would have wanted? _Of course not,_ I reasoned with myself, _my parents would've at least wanted me to think of a cleverer plan. They would've wanted me to be patient._

I looked around. Not one wolf admirer was around… In my deep thought, I had wandered right back to the grove of trees where Duxas, Kyla, and I had been discussing our plans. I climbed into the tiny den and sat down, moaning with exhaustion. I was always tired at this time of day, and my recent unconsciousness had left me slightly out of shape. But I couldn't afford to take a nap, not with everything that's been going on following me like a bear that wants your food.

The Mountain was usually a fairly calm place. Nothing extremely weird happened to the three packs, until Scar and the Tationes showed up. The Tationes were like… the X factor of my world. Everything could go according to plan, and the organized Mountain system could happen perfectly in routine, except for the one little hiccup that ends up screwing up everything. Scar was that unthinkable burp in the natural flow.

My subconsciousness told me that I was on the right track for figuring out… something. How I could return Vena to her normal self? Why Scar was here? But I resolved to give my philosophy a rest until I finished my mission.

The mission. Right.

I was close to the Saltus Hunting Grounds, so I padded silently after the scent of frightened elk. _Frightened elk…_ I finally came upon the herd after following an unusually twisted and faint scent trail. My blood ran cold.

Inside the clearing of tall grass and violet wildflowers stood five elk. That was all… five. Only five. They were one old and shaking cow, only two young and strong does, one adolescent boy (last year's offspring, apparently), and the leader of the herd, the bull.

It struck me hard that there were only five of them, and no offspring but the young buck, just sprouting his antlers. _How_ had the Tationes been hunting? Did they know our customs to let young elk live? (after all, they were next year's prey) The bull balked and hid his family from me, assuming that I would attack them. But I just looked at them in sorrow. The bull was covered in random cuts and bruises, like some wolf had tried to attack him before, but failed. His herd, too, was injured to the point of infection and death. Somebody would need to speak to Scar about this _today_, and I would NOT let this issue wait any longer!

At that precise moment, I heard voices through the trees. Tationes wolves. My thoughts about the Scar Factor returned, but I pushed them aside…

"Tationes warriors!" I called through the firs. The hunting party stopped in mid-stalk. Their leader, a brown-tan she-wolf with a menacing scowl, snarled at me furiously.

"You scared away our prey!" her deep, rich voice thronged across the clearing. Indeed, the elk had seized the opportunity, and scampered off into the trees.

"What prey?" I snapped back, frustrated already with the typical behavior of the Tationes. "It's _you_ depleting the supply of prey here at Saltus!"

I don't seem to negotiate very well…

"So what do you want us to do, starve? I haven't seen a wolf _protecting_ elk in a long while… especially you!"

The situation was quickly escalating into something undesirable. The she-wolf, whom I had seen before running the obstacle course in the Pack Games, was one of the even-less desirable members of the pack from what I had seen before, anyway. She was one of Scar's officers, extra-nasty pack members. Scar wasn't the only commanding member of his pack. His betas were supposed to "discipline" any wayward member of the pack, but mostly they just used the elevated status to get extra food.

She was used to pushing people around, as the rest of her pack was.

However, the person who crashed somewhat awkwardly into the clearing next had a personality that was the exact opposite. Calm and sweet, but Kyla had a fierce loyalty to her only family.

"Leave her alone!"

"Kyla… what are you doing here?" I asked equally awkwardly, unprepared for my sister to suddenly show up out of the forest.

"Being a Libratus!"

It was apparent a fight was coming soon, and I was reluctant to let Kyla be a part of it. But she had been and was being trained to fight, and I was probably the best teacher around. As my adrenaline levels rose, a rogue thought entered my head… _How hard would it be to exact revenge for Nigr and Rufona? Right here, right now?_

But we were outnumbered. Engaging against this wolf's patrol would be suicide. I took deep breaths and tried desperately to calm down.

Kyla looked at me worriedly. She didn't have to ask if I was okay, because she knew I wasn't.

"Look…" I breathed. Kyla was still on edge. "I need to talk to your leader about several things. Can you arrange a time for me to meet him?"

The wolf narrowed her eyes and sized me up. I could guess what she had going through her head at the moment. She was still in fight mode, and she wasn't sure if she should ask her leader to do something she might not want to do. Who knows what type of punishment system there was in the totalitarian Tationes pack?

"Alright. You have my word. If he agrees, he will probably send a messenger to you with the time. Be there. If he doesn't agree, you also have my word I will punish you for pursuing something so recklessly stupid."

Her voice was so cold I almost believed her. Kyla held her ground, but I could see her feet twitch, begging her to roll over.

Does anyone else think that Kyla has changed since I fell?

After giving me another deathly look, she left with her patrol. Kyla was shaking.

"She's a nasty piece of work, huh?" Kyla commented as we left the clearing to find Duxas.

"True, but we gained a meeting with Scar. We solved a situation diplomatically…"

It is very hard for me to do what I had just done. One reason the Mountain was so afraid of me was that I got into fights over _everything_; prey, territory, unusual happenings, you name it. Often, any wolf who got into a skirmish with me didn't come out of it with most of their skin still intact.

Which brings me back to the not-so-old question: why did the mountain suddenly stop hating me?

I asked Kyla; perhaps, since she was the one who had obviously brought the radical change about, she would know the _reason_.

"Isn't it obvious? You're a Moon Pup, Luminara. The Mountain tends to like pups with prophecies, especially pups prophesied to bring invulnerability, immortality, and super skills to their pack."

I stopped short. I remembered the old legend now. But I thought for so long that I was an albino, destined for _bad_ luck. That was the way my life had turned out so far. I just couldn't believe Kyla.

"Kyla, no… Just no. If that's what you told them just to make them like me, that's still not okay. I'm an albino. You know it."

"Don't worry, Luminara, albinos have pink eyes. Albinos live in solitude and have no friends. Albinos usually don't survive to become adults. You're _not_ an albino."

If I wasn't an albino and I wasn't a Moon Pup, then what was I? Was I just an ordinary wolf with a strange pelt and a horrible luck streak? Amethyst Mountain is far too superstitious to believe that I was ordinary. Perhaps I was something new.

We had gravitated back to the hiding spot. I tried desperately to be strong as thoughts of wolves from legends and myths flew in and out of my head.

I couldn't help but to be curious. What Kyla said had some truth to it. I had never lost a fight since Scar's coup, for good reason. I survived a fall that should've killed me.

The Tationes were interested in me for _some_ reason. Could they believe I was a Moon Pup? Did _I_ believe I was a Moon Pup? But… Moon Pups brought invulnerability to their pack.

Nigr and Rufona hadn't had invulnerability.

"Kyla… we should find Duxas."

"Definitely."

As we ran at full speed toward Rubiat territory, I couldn't help but to think,

_My life just got more complicated. And dangerous._

**This is a dangerous new development for the characters, and I'm trying hard not to encroach on Mary-Suness.**

**Reviews are much appreciated. Updates will certainly be more often and with less time in between.**

**:)**


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